T2DM risk up with increased serum calcium levels

(HealthDay)—For individuals at high cardiovascular risk, serum calcium concentrations correlate with increased diabetes risk, according to research published in the November issue of Diabetes Care.

Nerea Becerra-Tomás, from Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Rues, Spain, and colleagues conducted a prospective assessment to examine the correlation between albumin-adjusted serum calcium concentrations and type 2 diabetes in individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Data were included for participants from two Spanish PREDIMED (Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea) study centers.

After a median follow-up of 4.78 years, the researchers identified 77 new cases of type 2 diabetes. Increased risk of diabetes was seen in association with an increase in serum calcium levels during follow-up. The hazard ratio for diabetes incidence during follow-up was 3.48 for those in the highest tertile of change versus the lowest tertile (P for trend = 0.01). On analysis of albumin-adjusted serum calcium as a continuous variable, the hazard ratio for diabetes incidence was 2.87 per 1 mg/dL increase (P = 0.02). The association persisted after exclusion of those taking calcium supplements or those with calcium levels out of the normal range.

"An increase in serum calcium concentrations is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals at high cardiovascular risk," the authors write.